2014 National League Championship Series

The 2014 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the St. Louis Cardinals against the San Francisco Giants for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2014 World Series. The series was the 45th in league history with Fox airing Game 1 and Fox Sports 1 airing Games 2–5 in the United States. Game 1 was simulcast on Fox Sports 1 and was hosted by Kevin Burkhardt, Gabe Kapler and C.J. Nitkowski, who offered sabermetric analysis of the game.

To reach the 2014 NLCS, the Cardinals (Central Division champions, 90–72) defeated the Dodgers (West Division champions, 94–68) in the NLDS, 3 games to 1. The Giants (Wild Card, 88–74) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game and then defeated the Nationals (East Division champions, 96–66) in the NLDS, 3 games to 1.

This was the fourth time the two teams have met in the postseason (1987 NLCS, 2002 NLCS, and 2012 NLCS). The Cardinals, by virtue of being a division winner, had the home field advantage. The Giants clinched their third pennant within a five-year span, with NLCS wins in 2010 and 2012.

1969 National League Championship Series

The 1969 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five match-up between the East Division champion New York Mets and the West Division champion Atlanta Braves. The Mets defeated the Braves three games to none, becoming the first team ever to sweep a best-of-five postseason series in baseball. They did not sweep a playoff series again until 2006 as they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series in three games.

At that time, the New York Mets became the fastest expansion team to win a National League Pennant with only seven years of existence. 28 years later in 1997, the Florida Marlins would break that record at reaching the World Series with only five years of existence. Four years after the Marlins, the Arizona Diamondbacks would break that by reaching the World Series in just their fourth year.

Nolan Ryan played for the Mets at the time, but he did not play until Game 3, which was the first playoff victory of his career.

1974 National League Championship Series

The 1974 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five series that matched the East Division champion Pittsburgh Pirates against the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers won the Series three games to one and lost the 1974 World Series to the Oakland Athletics.

Summary

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Los Angeles won the series, 3–1.

Game summaries

Game 1

Saturday, October 5, 1974 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Dodgers had been winless in six games played a Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium during the regular season but they remedied that situation in postseason play. In the opening game, Don Sutton was opposed to Jerry Reuss. The Pirate lefty yielded just one run in seven innings, but left the game in favor of an ineffectual pinch-hitter. Dave Giusti came on in the eighth inning and gave up two insurance runs. Meanwhile, Sutton set the Pittsburgh club down on four hits and no runs.

Game 2

Sunday, October 6, 1974 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania